Breaking Storm
by XxKatrinaSagexX
Summary: An average teenage newsgirl in an unlikely situation. R&R!


**Hey everybody! This is my first story, and please tell me if you think it's going anywhere.**

The moist air pricked my skin as I stepped out into the fresh morning air. It seemed like forever ago since I had last seen my older brother. But you probably know him, he's the infamous Spot Conlon, and I'm his younger sister, Freckles.

Spot and I have been newsies since I was four and he was six. But, when I got older, there were no more girl newsies at the Brooklyn Lodging House, and Ashes, the Brooklyn leader at the time, decided he didn't want a little girl around and getting in the way. So he let Spot stay, and then shipped me off to Manhattan, because 'they take in anybody', according to Ashes. I was only seven at the time, and I don't really remember much about Brooklyn besides that it was always cold.

Of course, Manhattan took me in, and I made real quick friends. There were the girls, Harmony, Snatch, Book, and Shorty, and then there were the guys. At that time, the nicest person I knew was the Manhattan leader, Dice. He was like the big brother I always wanted, but instead of getting rid of me like Ashes, he took me under his wing. Racetrack Higgins was and still is my best guy friend. True, he's a smart ass, but it's that quality that makes him fun, and it really is funny to see the Delancey's get pissed off at him.

Well, as for me, I have light brown hair that reaches my waist and blue-gray eyes. I'm not extremely skinny, but I wouldn't consider a single newsie fat. My mind is racing as I get off of my cot in the morning, awakened by Miss Galty, an old lady who is the owner of the place, and try to run a comb through my thick hair. I'm not a morning person at all, and all of the girls at the Manhattan Newsgirl Lodging House know that, so they try to avoid me. Book is the only person who I can talk to in the mornings, she's always so laid back and quiet. She's really beautiful, with shoulder-length blonde curls and baby blue eyes covered by glasses. But as I tried to convince her to eat more(she's too thin), she just stalked away towards her cot. She doesn't like it when people point out that she's so skinny.

I heavily sighed, wishing that I could go back to sleep in my comfortable bed, but suddenly squeaked as a mysterious newsgirl jumped onto my back, yelling, "Giddy-up, Freckles, giddy-up!" Laughing, I dropped Shorty off of my back and turned around to face her. Shorty is the shortest newsie for her age, and she's only a year younger than me, at the age of fifteen. She has super long strawberry blonde hair that she braids into pigtails, and radiant green eyes that you can see a block away. "C'mon, Shorts, I'll race ya to the papes!" I screamed, running towards the Distribution Office already.

After she won the race, Shorty and I grabbed fifty papers each and started to read the headlines. "Oh, how about 'Nude Corpse Leads Officers to Mass Murderer'!" I asked, pointing to a story on page seven about a dead whore found in an alley. "Maybe 'Fire Kills Hundreds In the West'!" she said,showing me a picture of dead cattle in Arizona. But, before we could start selling, Kid Blink came up behind Shorty and hugged her. They've been dating for three months now, and honestly, it's been getting on my nerves. So, without saying goodbye, I walked to my regular selling spot, as they started kissing, to one of the entrances to Central Park that I had worked hard to earn, and started screaming fake headlines.

A few hours later, I had just finished counting my money and put it in my pocket when a firm hand touched my back. I shiver went up my spine, but it immediately was forgotten when Jack's strong voice said, "What are ya hangin around heah for? You'se done sellin, obviously." "Come on, Cowboy, I just got done. And you should know that I'm waitin foah Race!" I replied, a smile lighting up my face. He sighed, made some comment about Race and me always getting in trouble, and I laughed lightheartedly. "Don't worry, Jack, I'm a big girl, I can tie my own boots and everything!" "But you of all people know him, and if he doesn't get here soon, come over to Tibby's. You know I can't stand leavin you by yourself after what your jackass of a brother did-" "Francis Sullivan! If he doesn't show in half an hour, I'll go to Tibby's. Happy?" "Very. Now, Come 'ere," Jack said, giving me a quick hug in the middle of the street.

Once Cowboy left, I sat down on an old wooden bench and hummed to myself. My friend Snatch came to my mind, and we've been friends since she showed up at the Lodging House a year after me. She doesn't sell newspapers, and like her name suggests, she's a pickpocket. Snatch's profits are better than that of three newsies combined, but I like selling more because my friends are always there for me. Then again, nobody would ever guess that a beach blonde sixteen year old stole something.

Before I knew it, half an hour had passed and Racetrack still hadn't showed up. But as I stood up, a cold hand touched my arm, and I heard a voice. "Heya, Freckles!" Race said, holding his arms out for me to hug him. Almost knocking him over, I jumped into his hug. I sniffed his jacket, and it smelled like the familiar cigar ash smell. "You finally showed! Anyways, let's go to Tibby's!" I exclaimed excitedly, and we both started walking in the direction of the restaurant.

A bell dinged as we stepped inside the cozy nook, and after Skittery and Itey motioned us over, Race and I sat at their table. After some random talking about headlines, money, and heard Itey complaining about waking up with a foot in his face, the bell dinged again, and it was none other than my jackass brother, Spot Conlon.

**Thanks for reading! Review :)**


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